Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jennifer
I'm so proud of Fletcher for letting go of his fears and becoming the cricket hero he once had been.
His ex-wife clearly treated him like garbage, and he became so downtrodden that he gave up on ever finding real happiness.
On our wedding night, between bouts of hot sex, Fletcher had confessed to me that he'd allowed his ex, Claudia, to trample him emotionally.
These days, he's a rock star---to me, the kids, his friends, and everyone else who knows him. Fletcher's employees at the hotel already loved him. But once we showed them the videos of the cricket match, they now agree with me that Fletcher Murgatroyd is an extraordinary man.
He walks with a spring in his step these days and literally whistles while he works. The transformation has been astonishing, especially in the bedroom. I never expected my husband to become a sex god---but he has. And whoa mama, I love this new side of him.
A week after the cricket match, Fletcher and I take the kids and the grandparents as well as my parents too, on an end-of-summer escapade.
We let the children suggest some destinations.
That might not have been our smartest idea ever.
Four kids arguing over what is the "awesome-est" vacation spot.
After two hours of listening to the kids bicker over destinations, Fletcher finally steps in.
His newfound confidence shines through as he claps his hands once, silencing the bedlam.
"Listen up, I've made an executive decision," he announces. "We're going to the Black Hills of South Dakota."
I bite back a laugh at the kids' stunned faces. Henry recovers first.
"But Dad, what about the water park I wanted?" His bottom lip quivers melodramatically.
Fletcher crouches to his level. "The park will still be there next summer, champ. But how many of your friends can say they've seen Mount Rushmore?"
Charlotte perks up. "Don't they have wild horses there too?"
"And the Badlands," Josh adds, already pulling out his tablet to research the sights. "Did you know they've found fossils there that are over 75 million years old?"
Amelia glances up from her phone, suddenly interested. "The Badlands? Isn't that where they filmed that movie about the alien crash site?"
"You're thinking of Area 51, genius," Josh says with an eye roll. "That's in Nevada."
"No bickering," Fletcher says firmly. "This vacation is about family bonding."
I wrap my arm around his waist, loving this take-charge version of my husband. "The Black Hills will be perfect. We can see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and explore Custer State Park."
"Will there be ice cream?" Henry asks, his priorities clearly established. To Henry, everything boils down to ice cream.
"Of course there will be ice cream," Fletcher assures Henry, ruffling his hair. "What kind of vacation doesn't have that?"
Just like that, the decision is made. I watch as the kids scatter to research South Dakota on their devices, already planning what they want to see. Fletcher's parents exchange amused glances with mine.
"Well, that was easier than expected," I tell Fletcher.
He kisses my temple. "Cricket hero, remember? I'm invincible now."
I laugh and nudge him with my hip. "Don't let it go to your head, Mr. Murgatroyd."
Two weeks later, we're packed into our rented van, heading north toward South Dakota. The grandparents, all six of them, follow in their own vehicle. That's probably for the best. Eight hours with six adults and four children in one van would test even Fletcher's newfound self-assurance.
My parents, Larry and Joanne Cordell, are thrilled to be invited on this excursion.
"Are we there yet?" Henry asks for the third time in thirty minutes.
"Not even close, buddy," I reply, passing him another snack bag. "We've only been on the road for two hours."
"But that's forever!" Henry whines, slumping in his seat while pouting.
"Try looking out the window," I suggest. "Count how many red cars you see. First one to twenty wins."
My plan distracts him for all of five minutes before he's fidgeting again. I glance at Fletcher, who's driving with one hand on the wheel, seeming completely unfazed by the shenanigans in the back seat. How does he do it? The man is unflappable these days.
"I need to pee," Charlotte announces abruptly.
"We just stopped twenty minutes ago," Fletcher reminds her, catching her eye in the rearview mirror.
"I didn't have to go then. But I do now."
Fletcher sighs but nods. "Next rest stop, then."
I squeeze his knee and whisper, "You're doing great."
He flashes me a crooked smile, the kind that still makes me weak in the knees. Even with four bickering kids in the back, I still take a moment to admire how handsome he is behind the wheel, so confident and relaxed.
"You know," I whisper so the kids can't hear, "watching you take charge like this is really doing it for me."
Fletcher's eyebrows shoot up, and he throws me a heated sideways glance. "Is that right, darling? Perhaps we'll need to find some alone time at the hotel."
"Count on it." I delicately trail my fingertips over his forearm.
The rest stop appears like an oasis on the horizon.
As soon as Fletcher parks, Charlotte bolts from the van like she's been shot from a cannon.
Henry follows, claiming he needs to pee too, though I suspect he's more interested in the vending machines.
Josh and Amelia stretch their legs, looking grateful to escape the confines of the van.
I watch through the windshield as the grandparents' car pulls up beside us, all six of them appearing remarkably cheerful for people who've been driving for hours.
"Ten minutes," Fletcher calls out as the kids scatter toward the rest stop building. "And stay where I can see you!"
I climb out of the van, stretching my arms above my head. The summer air is warm but carries a hint of the cooler weather that's coming. Fletcher saunters up beside me, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. "Halfway there, Jennifer."
"Thank heavens." I lean back against his chest, savoring this moment of peace. "Think we'll survive the rest of the trip?"
"With our sanity intact?" He smirks. "It's doubtful."
Fortunately, we do survive all three rest stops that we see along the way without losing anyone. And finally, we're we've reached our hotel. Everyone waits in their vehicles while Big Daddy gets us checked in. Fletcher returns a few minutes later, waving for us to exit our vehicles.
Within fifteen minutes, everyone has found their correct rooms---the grandparents, the kids, and also Fletcher and me. The boys have their own room, just like the girls do. Miraculously, none of the children complain. They even go to sleep within ten minutes of bedding down.
Now, Fletcher and I finally get some time alone in our room. But we're too exhausted to make love. Instead, we cuddle.
And promptly fall asleep.
In the morning, everyone is refreshed and ready to explore the Badlands.
The starkly beautiful landscape stretches out before us like something from another planet.
Red rock formations jut up from the earth in impossible shapes, carved by millions of years of wind and water into a landscape that seems more suited to Mars than South Dakota.
Henry presses his face against the window. "Whoa. This is so cool! It looks like where aliens would live."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," I agree, craning my neck to take in the towering spires of rock. "It's like we've driven into a science fiction movie."
Fletcher pulls into the visitor center parking lot, and I can tell he's as impressed as the rest of us. His whole expression changes as he surveys the dramatic landscape stretching toward the horizon.
"Right then," he says, turning off the engine. "Everyone ready to explore?"
The kids practically tumble out of the van in their excitement.
Josh immediately starts rattling off geological facts about sedimentary rock formations that he must've memorized.
Charlotte immediately starts planning the best photo spots now that her dad bought her a camera.
We had nixed the idea of letting our kids sign up on any social media site. A camera is the next best thing.
"Did you know," Josh announces to anyone within earshot, "that these formations are called 'badlands' because early settlers thought the terrain was too hard to cross?"
Amelia rolls her eyes. "Fascinating."
Despite her seeming disinterest, I catch Amelia snapping a photo of the dramatic rock spires.
The grandparents emerge from their rental van looking surprisingly spry despite the long journey. My dad immediately starts pointing out geological features to Fletcher's father, while the moms huddle together, probably mapping out our itinerary down to the minute.
"Look at that formation over there," Fletcher says, pointing toward a particularly striking red and white striped cliff. "It's like layers of history written in stone."
I love watching him get excited about things like this. The cricket match really did unlock something in him. He's confident, virile, cheerful, and focused on our children more than ever before.
"Can we hike one of those trails?" Charlotte asks, bouncing on her toes as she studies the visitor center map.
"Yes, why not?" Fletcher replies. "But we stick together as a group. No wandering off."
Josh already has his nose buried in a park brochure. "What about the fossil trail? It says here that you can see actual prehistoric remains embedded in the rock."
Henry's eyes go wide. "Like dinosaur bones?"
"More like ancient sea creatures," Josh explains with the patience of someone who genuinely loves sharing knowledge. "This whole area used to be underwater millions of years ago."
I watch Fletcher absorb this information, nodding thoughtfully. Six months ago, he would have been checking his watch or suggesting we skip ahead to the next attraction. Now he's immersed in the moment, genuinely curious about the natural wonders around us.
The change in him is unmistakable---and wonderful.